FECAVA Newsletter - August 2019

Editorial

Rabies is one of the oldest diseases on the planet, and claims the lives of an estimated 59,000 people every year. However, rabies is 100% vaccine-preventable. A dedicated team work tirelessly to deliver these lifesaving vaccines and protect countless communities.

Mission Rabies is a UK charity committed to changing this horrifying statistic by spearheading the global operation to eliminate canine-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030.

Teams of vets, vet nurses, international volunteers and animal handlers all come together with local charities to vaccinate as many dogs as possible. Every vaccine can be lifesaving, but it’s not all about the dogs. By educating communities about dog behaviour, rabies symptoms and, crucially, the actions to take if they are bitten, Mission Rabies is reducing bite incidence, saving lives and improving the relationship between dogs and people. In Goa for example, the charity’s largest project, human rabies deaths have reduced from 17 in 2014, to zero in 2018. Globally, Mission Rabies has now vaccinated over one million dogs and educated more than three million people!

Mission Rabies began working in Blantyre, Malawi following a worrying report from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the district, which in 2012 recorded the highest incidence of child rabies deaths from any single institution in the whole of Africa. Mission Rabies’ expert team in Malawi has identified an urgent need to expand their project to the south, into Thyolo district. With over 24,000 dogs living here, and 80,000 children at risk, this community is in desperate need of protection. With your help, our team can deliver a targeted vaccination drive and protect thousands of lives in the coming weeks. Please donate today !

These projects wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated vets and volunteers who join Mission Rabies’ international projects. If you are looking to use your veterinary skills to help eliminate the world’s deadliest disease, take a look at the volunteering opportunities available throughout the year: www.missionrabies.com/volunteer. Who knows what an impact your veterinary career could have!